Before and After

How the Vintage Grey Dresser Changed and So Did My Daughter’s Wardrobe

Published May 16, 2013 | By Shanna

I’m so excited to share my vintage grey dresser makeover with you! But first, let me tell you a bit about my day.

It started with a heated discussion with the unnamed child. She wanted to wear a pair of shorts to school that she had worn last summer. The only problem was that she had grown, and the shorts had not. Yes, I did understand that they went perfectly with her shirt. But they were just a little too hoochy, and she just didn’t see that.

After 20 minutes of “discussing” she finally changed, and I got to hear lots of stomping around … and the car door happened to shut just a little too loudly when I dropped her off (probably just the wind).

We have had battles over her wardrobe since she was three years old. I remember her getting ready for kindergarten one day, and she had these wooden clogs that she was obsessed with. She had to wear them to school, and we fought and fought over them, and I kept telling her they weren’t appropriate for school. In the end, I had to go to work and she won out.

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Posted in Bedroom, Before and After, Dresser | 8 Comments

One More Reason I Hate the Gym (and an Antique Yellow Table)

Published May 14, 2013 | By Shanna

Remember when I said I was going to start going back to the gym again? Well … I have been, which is a start — but just not as often as I should. With summer right around the corner, I have got to kick it into gear, people!

Yesterday, I had to drive one of my unnamed child’s friends home from school, and we had to go down a very bumpy dirt road. I glanced down at my legs, and the amount of jiggling that was resonating from them was mortifying — like two jello-filled water balloons sloshing around in my driver’s seat. In fact, I was so distracted, I did a terrible job avoiding all the ruts — which, of course, only compounded the problem…

That ride disturbed me enough that I drove my car straight to the gym.

I’ve written, on more than one occasion, about how I am a complete germ-o-phobe, so the gym is kind of my worst nightmare as far as that goes. I can not stand touching the same weight machine handles that 147 other people have already touched already.

Today kind of pushed me over the edge though.

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Posted in Before and After, Living Room, Side Table | 8 Comments

Vintage Grey Distressed Chair

Published May 6, 2013 | By Shanna

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend!

I was going to city-wide yard sales Saturday, but with the rain and freezing temperatures, we decided to pass.

I did, however, take the fur babies to get groomed … and that was a disaster. Topher and I had all three of them freaking-out in the car while the rain was pouring on us.

Gracie freaked out so much she pooped in the back of the car (my car, too), and then in frantic pacing managed to walk through it! Poop paw prints all over my car, and the smell was making us literally gag!

So we pulled over and in the torrential rain, and Topher tried to clean up the dog and the car. By the time we got to the groomer’s, we looked like drowned rats and smelled like … well, you know what.

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Posted in Before and After, Chair | 3 Comments

Mo Money, Mo Problems (and the Aqua Chalkpainted Table)

Published May 1, 2013 | By Shanna

Last week, the child that wishes to remain anonymous and I were watching a TV show about ridiculously wealthy teenagers living disgustingly excessive lives. They were driving $100,000 cars at 16 and having $2 million sweet-sixteen birthday parties.

My daughter was saying how life would be perfect if she had as much money as they did.

We then made lists of what money could and couldn’t buy. Last week I shared with you our list of what it could buy. Here is our list of what money can’t buy:

Taste. I have known some amazingly wealthy people who, no matter how much money they have, will always have bad taste (you can afford to have a decorator or stylist, but you first have to be able to acknowledge that you need one). Continue reading →

Posted in Before and After, Side Table | 51 Comments

Cane Back Chair Farewell

Published April 25, 2013 | By Shanna

Over the summer I found a great set of cane back chairs at a yard sale. They were filthy and yellow with horrendous teal velvet seats.

I got them late into garage sale season, so at that point my garage and basement were packed, and I may have promised Topher I wouldn’t bring home anything else until the garage was cleared out.

These were too good of a deal, but I knew I would have to get these redone and resold quickly so Topher wouldn’t blow a gasket.

I do recall the day I got them — it is was a 101-degree day, but I sat out in the sweltering garage trying to strip them down. After prying-out eight billion staples, I removed the nasty teal velvet seat cover only to find an even more hideous yellow velvet.

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Posted in Before and After, Chair | 9 Comments

Dr. Dolittle (and the little grey nightstand)

Published April 18, 2013 | By Shanna

Last week, poor Gracie had to go to the vet and get four of her teeth pulled. Two were abscessed, and one of those had three roots … so they had to remove the tooth in sections. The poor Muffin has had bad teeth from day one — I guess that’s not an uncommon issue in poodle.

Each year we take her for her annual cleaning, and more teeth have to come out. So now she only has four teeth left on the top!

She was in a world of hurt all weekend, and they sent up home with drugs a decent supply of various drugs.

About 8 months ago, I have a vivid memory of Topher and I sitting across each other in a restaurant booth and I say. “We’re awfully fortunate to have healthy animals. It seems like we hardly ever have to take them to the vet for issues.”

Apparently, we failed to knock on wood, or we walked underneath a ladder, or some mirror shattered because every animal we have is falling apart. Every. Single. One.

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Posted in Bedroom, Before and After, Side Table | 20 Comments

Roughed Up and the Yellow End Table

Published April 15, 2013 | By Shanna

Happy Monday!!!

Hope you guys had a great weekend! Mine was fairly boring, but I sit here starting the week a little beaten up (but with a yellow end table makeover). Saturday morning, we visited some yard sales, so there wasn’t a lot of sleep (I did get some great old books, an antique chair, and a fun little table though); lots of time spent bent over painting, and my back is angry; so much distressing that I have blisters and no skin left on multiple fingers; and the virus the unnamed child infected us with last week was passed on the Topher and I. My entire body is so achy I kind of want to die. I took NyQuil along with Lyrica (that I am prescribed), and I woke up Sunday morning and from my elbows down … a bit numb.

Probably not a good thing.

I was trying to work on my blog, and my fingers felt like your cheek does after the dentist fills it with novocaine. Not good — plus, I usually have laughing gas to go along with that feeling. I had to type everything 4 or 5 times before I could club the correct keys.

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Posted in Before and After, For Sale, Side Table | 3 Comments

My Marathon (and a Grey Vintage Desk)

Published April 8, 2013 | By Shanna

Happy Monday everyone!!

I had a busy weekend full of painting and cleaning up filthy furniture rescued from barns and sheds, not so fun … but on the upside I found out it was the General Hospital 50th Anniversary marathon. From Saturday night to Monday morning, SoapNet was airing 50 hours of “vintage” General Hospital episodes.

The downside was, I don’t have the SoapNet channel.

So I called up my cable company and found out it would be an extra $10 a month. So I did some negotiating and got my bill reduced by $16 a month; so basically, it meant I got the channel for free. So now I have 50 hours of GH recorded and no time to watch any of them.

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Posted in Before and After, Desk | 34 Comments

Seeing Spots (Pink Polka-Dot Table)

Published April 1, 2013 | By Shanna

Happy April Fools Day everyone!

I hope you all had a great Easter! Ours was small and simple, just us, my parents and my brother and sister in law. A nice dinner, perfect weather, and a relaxing day. I ate way too much yesterday, and then I burned zero calories by watching my TIVOed Dancing With The Stars and Grey’s Anatomy.

The child that wishes to remain anonymous has cheer tryouts this week, and clinic starts today. Just so you know, I will be a nervous wreck by Friday.

I am back to the gym today, and I am less than excited … but it must be done. I have a blogger’s conference that I will be attending in August, and I am determined to have my body in good shape. That probably means taking some workout classes, and you all know how well I do at those.

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Posted in Bedroom, Before and After, For Sale, Side Table | 69 Comments

Turquoise Nightstand Makeover Times Two

Published March 20, 2013 | By Shanna

It’s a cold, and soon to be wet, Spring Break here in Kansas — which, sadly, is pretty normal.

We are even supposed to have snow for the first day of Spring, so it looks like there will be no tanning-in-warmth-of-the-sun for the child that wishes to remain anonymous.

We did take a quick minivacation to Kansas City for a few days and took in some fun shopping and consumed a staggering amount calories including lots of pasta, bread and cupcakes. Looks like the kiddo and I will be spending the rest of spring break in the gym.

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Posted in Bedroom, Before and After, For Sale, Living Room, Side Table | 31 Comments